CoasterFanatic Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Coasterdad (a CF member who also frequents these boards) has recently sent me a real piece of coaster history. That's right ... an offical promo for the King's Island Bat from it's opening year. You have heard the stories about how it was the best of the suspended. Well, after viewing this video, it would hard to argue that! This look just looks insane! Check it out: http://www.coasterfanatics.com/sec_videos/default.asp Sorry, but due to the file size and popularity (soon enough) of this video, I have added a login to view it. It only takes a second to register so get to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kroger8 Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT AN AWESOME PIECE OF COASTER HISTORY!!! I think I would have given anything to have been able to be one of those who got to experience it while it was here! Watching the video though, you can see the forces the supports of the train and track had to endure as it swung around! What an awesome awesome video though!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhishyBrewer Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 The was pretty bad ass! What ever happened to the Bat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DATman Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 I can't put in my town-its too many letters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterFanatic Posted November 16, 2005 Author Share Posted November 16, 2005 ^ Torn down with extreme prejudice. Arrow filled the area with the still-running Vortex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterFanatic Posted November 16, 2005 Author Share Posted November 16, 2005 I can't put in my town-its too many letters Just abbreviate it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 (edited) I have seen that video before. Not sure where. I think it might have been shown at Eastcoaster or something back when I was a REAL nerdy coaster enthusaist. I have to be honest, I've always thought that coaster doesn't look that great. Sure it might swing a lot more than the suspendeds now, or at least in those couple of spots they keep showing over and over and over again, but so what? I have been told by people who have been on it that don't have the "I have been on it and you haven't so therefore it's the best ride in the world...too bad you missed out" attitude that it really wasn't all that big of a deal. The layout of it doesn't look that much more exciting than Iron Dragon or XLR-8. And I could probably take footage of Ninja doing those crazy high swings it does over the lake from 20 different angles and produce a video to make that ride look like the most wicked thing ever. After all, it was the "promotional" video for the ride! Whenever someone tells me that the Bat was the best ride ever, I just honestly don't believe them. But who can disprove them so it MUST be the best thing ever. Too bad I missed out. At the end of the day, it's just an Arrow suspended. And one that didn't even work right. If it was REALLY that amazing and earth-shattering of a ride, wouldn't they have "fixed" it instead of replacing it with Vortex? --Robb "Was more impressed by the watermark running through the entire video!" Alvey Edited November 16, 2005 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiCoastal Kid Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Awwww, they're all so cute with their swooshed haircuts and basketball shorts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DATman Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 I did The Bat looks like it was a great ride. Glad to see that they at least got my favorite suspended-Top Gun, which really blew me away. I wish that they'd re design this ride so that it could work-I'd really like to go on it. BBW comes in a really close second for me-the first/last drops on it were unexpected, but that trim made me sad (only reason it's second, along with it's 2nd lift) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenDen Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 I was lucky enough to ride it. It sucked actually. Lots of "ooh-ing and Aw-ing" from riders, but no screeming by any means from what I can remember. Iron Dragon is 10x more exciting, so you get the idea. great video though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Token Yankee Guy Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 That was a really good retro promo. The people are like "I've never ridden anything like this before." Great video, Ted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterviper Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 (edited) It also was a maintainence nightmare!! If you notice the track on the turns arent banked as much compared to suspended coasters now. Which in turn swings higher which also means more wear and tear on it!!! Here is a good link about The Bat! http://coasterglobe.com/features/lostlegends-thebat/index.cfm Edited November 16, 2005 by waterviper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiCoastal Kid Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 ^I think that's the reason they tore it down. Structural wear. Too bad X is taking a bit longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 I was lucky enough to ride it. It sucked actually. Lots of "ooh-ing and Aw-ing" from riders, but no screeming by any means from what I can remember. Iron Dragon is 10x more exciting, so you get the idea. great video though. That is completely impossible. Draggin Iron is one of the most lackluster rides I can think of. The WildCat is a hundred times better. Seriously, you only swing in about 4 spots on DI. At least on the Bat, reguardless of the unimaginative layout you swing a ton. Thats what makes them fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe21498 Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Although I never rode the bat I would have to say that the best suspended arrow I have been on was at Paramount Canada's Wonderland. This ride was crazy and seemed to swing and move just as quickly as the bat did in the video. Also the current suspended arrow at PKI is good and so is the one at SFMM. These all are tame though compared to the one at Canada's Wonderland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scruffy Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Wow thank you for posting the video. I was in line for the Bat but I never got to ride as it went down for the day. I have the promo video for Top Gun at PKI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 ^ And ALL Arrow suspendeds are tame compared to most B&M's, Intamin's, Premiere Launched, good woodies, etc, etc... I guess my point is, even if it WAS the "best Arrow Suspended" would it even crack someone'e top 10? Top 20? Etc..... --Robb "If Apollo's Chariot doesn't fall within my top 100, I doubt an Arrow Suspended would either!" Alvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe21498 Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 ^ I wouldn't put any suspended arrows in my top ten. Without a doubt everyone I have been on is not nearly as exciting as a B&M or a good Hyper or a good woodie. Who knows though maybe the arrow design lead to such rides as Batman The Ride. It was the first suspended coaster or was it not? Someone who knows answer that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dropzone265 Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 They didnt fix it cause in order for them to fix they would have had to change the entire layout because they needed to have banked turns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socalMAN123 Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 I can't see it because you have to be a registered member and according to your rules, I can't join . I'd like to see it though. ---Brent 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 They didnt fix it cause in order for them to fix they would have had to change the entire layout because they needed to have banked turns And how is that different from many other re-profiles we've seen to countless other coasters? All I know is that from "what I've heard" from very reliable sources is that the reason it didn't get "fixed" is because the ride wasn't that popular when it first opened. Had it been some amazing crowd-pleaser, I'm sure they would have gone back to the drawing board to figure out a way to keep it. But from what I know it's demise came from two things: 1. It didn't work. 2. People didn't think the ride was that great to begin with. If a ride is problematic, yet a success, more often than not a park will put money into it to fix the problem. Let's face it, Vortex was probably 100 times more popular with the parks demographic for that time than Bat was. --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianojohn Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 I also got ot ride it, and it was pretty mundane. The most exciting part was one of the swings to the side, and even that pales in comparison to the finale of Iron Dragon. It was great to be able to ride it in its first year since it was broken down a lot. But the ride itself: not that great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DATman Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 ^^ Like X! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba Z Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 The Bat on the front of the trains were cool , and I liked the cheesy porn music in the video as well :shock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopy Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Regardless, thats a nice historic video. The first arrow suspended is a very cool thing. Now lets find one for Batman at SFGAM . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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